Hammer device and keyboard device for electronic keyboard instrument

• US 10,373,596 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2018
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kawai Gakki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Suzuki, Akihiro, Shimoda, Yoshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Horn, Robert W
• Application Number:
  US15/924,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20180277082A1
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/346 Keys with an arrangement for simulating the feeling of a piano key, e.g. using counterweights, springs, cams

Abstract

A keyboard device for an electronic keyboard instrument, making uniform an upper surface height of the rear end of each key in contact with a hammer in a key-released state. The keyboard device includes longitudinally extending wooden keys capable of swinging and laterally juxtaposed, a hammer support disposed rearward of the keys, longitudinally extending hammers having a rear end thereof supported by the hammer support vertically pivotally movably and a protrusion protruding downward from a lower surface thereof for contact with a rear end of an associated key, and hammer contact height-regulating parts each made of a synthetic resin and mounted on the rear end of each key, the part being in contact with the protrusion in the key-released state, to regulate a contact height of the protrusion to a predetermined height.

Claims

1. A keyboard device for an electronic keyboard instrument, comprising:

a plurality of keys made of wood, each extending in a front-rear direction and configured to be capable of swinging about a support close to a center thereof in the front-rear direction, the keys being arranged in a state juxtaposed in a left-right direction;

a hammer support disposed rearward of the keys;

a plurality of hammers each extending in the front-rear direction, the plurality of hammers each having a rear end thereof supported by the hammer support pivotally movably in a vertical direction, and a protrusion protruding downward from a lower surface thereof brought into contact with a rear end of an associated one of the keys; and

a plurality of hammer contact height-regulating parts, each having a predetermined vertical size and made of a synthetic resin and mounted on the rear end of the associated one of the keys in contact with an upper surface and a lower surface of the associated one of the keys, and being in contact with the protrusion of an associated one of the hammers in a key-released state to regulate a contact height of the protrusion of the associated one of the hammers to a predetermined height by the predetermined vertical size.

2. The keyboard device according to claim 1, further comprising a regulating part-receiving member which is disposed to extend in the left-right direction in association with the keys, and on which the hammer contact height-regulating parts are placed at the same height in a key-released state.

3. The keyboard device according to claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of hammer contact height-regulating parts includes:

an upper piece secured to an upper surface of the associated one of the keys and held in contact with the protrusion of the associated one of the hammers, and

a rear piece extending downward continuously from a rear end of the upper piece and secured to a rear surface of the associated one of the keys.

4. The keyboard device according to claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of hammer contact height-regulating parts further includes a side wall continuous with respective sides of the upper piece and the rear piece and held in intimate contact with a side surface of the associated one of the keys.

5. The keyboard device according to claim 3, wherein the hammer contact height-regulating part further includes a lower piece extending forward from a lower end of the rear piece and being in contact with a lower surface of the associated one of the keys.

6. The keyboard device according to claim 3, wherein each of the upper piece and the rear piece of a hammer contact height-regulating part is secured to the associated one of the keys via a bracket.

7. A hammer device for an electronic keyboard instrument including a key extending in a front-rear direction and configured to be capable of swinging about a portion close to a center thereof, wherein the hammer device includes a hammer which is placed on a rear end of the key and pivotally moves by being pushed up by the key when the key is depressed, the hammer device comprising:

a hammer body made of a synthetic resin, which extends in the front-rear direction and is supported such that the hammer body is pivotally movable in a vertical direction about a support in a rear end thereof; and

a contact protrusion integrally formed with the hammer body at a predetermined location forward of the support in a state protruding downward, the contract protrusion being in contact with the rear end of the key from above in a key-released state.

8. The hammer device according to claim 7, further comprising a protrusion cover made of an elastic material and mounted on the hammer body in a state covering the contact protrusion.

9. The hammer device according to claim 8, wherein the protrusion cover includes a cover body which opens upward and accommodates the contact protrusion, and a hook provided such that the hook protrudes upward from the cover body, and

wherein the hammer body has a hook-receiving part formed in a recessed shape opening downward for engagement with the hook in a state preventing the hook from coming off.

10. The hammer device according to claim 9, wherein the hook-receiving part is formed in the hammer body at a predetermined location forward of the contact protrusion.

11. A hammer device for an electronic keyboard instrument including a key extending in a front-rear direction and configured to be capable of swinging about a portion close to a center thereof, wherein the hammer device includes a hammer which is placed on a rear end of the key and pivotally moves by being pushed up by the key when the key is depressed, the hammer device comprising:

a hammer support disposed rearward of the key;

a hammer body made of a synthetic resin, which extends in the front-rear direction and has an engaging part of a rear end thereof being engaged with the hammer support, for being supported thereon and pivotally movably in a vertical direction;

a key contact part provided on the hammer body at a predetermined location forward of the engaging part such that the key contact part protrudes downward, the key contact part being in contact with the rear end of the key from above in a key-released state; and

a lubricant-blocking portion provided in a side surface of the hammer body so as to prevent a lubricant applied to the engaging part from spilling out to the key contact part.

12. The hammer device according to claim 11, wherein the lubricant-blocking portion is formed in an arcuate shape surrounding the engaging part.

13. The hammer device according to claim 12, wherein the lubricant-blocking portion is formed in a recessed shape opening in a lateral direction of the hammer body.